The documents of the sensational Rifat Sharif murder case reached the High Court on Sunday as death reference to examine the trial court verdict that sentenced six accused including Rifat Sharif’s wife Ayesha Siddika Minni to death.
Officials of the Barguna court brought the documents of the case, including
the judgment, to the HC, said Md Saifur Rahman, spokesperson of the Supreme Court and also a special officer of the High Court Division.
He said HC authorities will now take necessary measures in line with relevant rules.
As per rules, the HC officials will scrutinize the documents and then prepare paper books for hearing on the death reference.
If a lower court sentences any person to death in a case, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirmation of the death sentence.
The case documents and judgment reach as death reference to the HC from the lower court in seven days after the latter delivers the verdict. Besides, the convicts also have the opportunity to file appeal against the verdict with the High Court.
A Barguna Court on September 30 this year handed down death sentence to Ayesha Siddika Minni and five others for killing Rifat Sharif in broad daylight in Barguna town in June last year.
The court also fined the six convicts Tk 50,000 each after it had found them guilty of committing the murder which caused public outcry across the country.
Judge of Barguna District and Sessions Judges Court, Md Asaduzzaman, however, acquitted four other accused as their involvement in the incident was not proved. Trial of 14 other accused is underway at the Barguna Children’s Court.
Apart from Minni, the five other convicts are-Rakibul Hasan Rifat alias Rifat Farazi, 23, Al Kaiyum alias Rabbi Akan, 21, Mohaiminul Islam Sifat, 19, Rezwan Ali Khan Hridoy alias Tik Tok Hridoy, 22, and Md Hasan, 22.
Meanwhile, Minni’s father Mozammel Hossain Kishore came to Dhaka to file appeal petition against the verdict. Her lawyer ZI Khan Panna said, “We found the copy of the verdict in our hand. We will file appeal against the verdict after review it.”
During delivering the verdict, the lower court said the convicts could file appeals with the High Court within seven days, if they wish.
Rifat, 25, an internet service provider, was hacked by some youths, led by prime accused Nayon Bond, in front of Barguna Government College in broad daylight on June 26 last year. Rifat died at Barishal Medical College Hospital later that day.
A video clip of the barbaric attack, believed to be captured on a mobile phone, went viral on social media triggering public outrage, with many condemning bystanders for not coming forward to save Rifat.
The following day, the victim’s father filed the murder case with Barguna Sadar Police Station, naming 12 as accused.
Minni, who was seen in the video clip screaming while desperately trying to stave off two men attacking her husband with sharp weapons, was made the first witness in the case.
But following investigation, she was named as the seventh accused in the charge sheet and a total of 24 people were named as accused in it.
On September 1 last year, police submitted separate charge sheets to the court, accusing 10 adults and 14 juveniles of the murder. Among them, trial of 14 other accused is underway at the Barguna Children’s Court.
The Barguna District and Sessions Judge Court framed charges against the adult 10 on January 1 this year.
Nayon Bond, another important accused of the murder, was killed in a “gunfight” with police on July 2 last year.
The court recorded testimonies of 76 witnesses and heard closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence counsels before fixing date for delivering the verdict.
